3 Takeaways from Redskins' 19-16 Defeat of Lions
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In Washington, the fans have checked out.
On Sunday, FedExField was filled with Lions supporters who made the trip to Washington to support a sub-.500 football team.
Both teams are reflections of regimes that are in complete disarray.
The game played Sunday was sloppy, error-filled and at times, challenging to sit through. The Lions dropped the contest, 19-16.
Here are three takeaways from the ugly Lions-Redskins Week 12 contest:
Poor Fundamentals
There were quite a few mistakes, a lack of attention to detail and poor fundamentals displayed by the Lions all game long, despite the constant emphasis on all three items from head man Matt Patricia throughout the season.
Redskins wideout Steven Sims Jr., despite muffing a kick with 12:54 to go in the second quarter, was able to secure the football and race to the end zone for a 91-yard kickoff return for touchdown.
In the third quarter, the Lions' Marvin Hall Jr. made a critical error by fielding a punt in the end zone and attempting to return it. It led to a very minimal gain.
Also, many observed the helmet-to-helmet hits on the sideline, special teams' errors and penalties that occurred at inopportune times.
Detroit offensive tackle Rick Wagner, for example, had a holding call in the fourth quarter that negated the long rush of Bo Scarbrough.
Also, after Lions defensive back Will Harris was flagged and fined a week ago for a helmet-to-helmet hit, there he was getting flagged yet again for a similar hit Sunday.
Driskel and Scarbrough Present a Real Rushing Threat
Throughout the game, both Lions quarterback Jeff Driskel and Scarbrough were able to accumulate chunk yards on the ground.
Driskel was more decisive than in past weeks, and was able to secure several first downs and extend drives with his rushing ability.
In back-to-back games, Driskel has secured more than 50 yards via rushing the football.
Before Driskel, the last Lions quarterback that rushed for 50 yards in back-to-back games was Rodney Peete in Weeks 3 and 4 in 1990.
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Scarbrough has been a pleasant surprise since he made his debut last week.
He is very tough to bring down, and is averaging more than five yards per carry.
It took a while, but Detroit may have found a running back that can be reliable and an added threat to its offense.
Lions Falter at the End of a Game Yet Again
Rookie Amani Oruwariye secured his first career interception in the fourth quarter, after the Lions took a 16-13 lead.
It was the Lions' first interception in six games.
After the Redskins took a 13-3 lead, Detroit scored 13 unanswered points.
The last three points were scored by Matt Prater on a 21-yard field goal with 12:01 to play. He also successfully connected on field goals of 24 and 49 yards.
But the Redskins had the last laugh.
The Redskins went on a nine-play, 54-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that led to a 42-yard, game-tying field goal from Dustin Hopkins. It made it 16-16 with 1:49 to play.
On the subsequent drive, Driskel threw a pick that was intercepted by Quinton Dunbar at the Washington 47-yard line with 48 seconds to play.
Redskins rookie passer Dwayne Haskins proceeded to lead the Skins on a six-play, 33-yard drive that resulted in a 39-yard, game-winning field goal with 16 seconds to go from Hopkins.
